Hearts and Minds
by SammyLynn
Summary: Lily Evans awakens early one summer morning from a chilling nightmare only to find James Potter sitting on the edge of her bed with a warning. How will the events of their seventh year at Hogwarts unfold? Read to find out!
1. The Warning

_Disclaimer: I almost forgot about this! Well, the Harry Potter world, and everything in it, does not belong to me. No, we owe much gratitude to J. K. Rowling for that. So thank you, J.K.R.! This disclaimer applies to all of the following chapters. Now, on with the story . . ._

**Hearts and Minds**

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**Chapter One: The Warning**

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A full moon rose silently over London. Dark clouds were racing past the giant orb in the sky. In this midnight hour, in the outskirts of the city, Lily Evans was kneeling down beside her bedroom window, peering out at the night sky. She should have been asleep; after all, the next morning she would be on the Hogwarts Express, going back to school for her last year. However, her thoughts had been keeping her awake at night for the past few weeks. Naturally, Lily believed that the thought of school starting up again was simply making her nervous, but after several nights of tossing and turning, she decided it had to be something else. Something she couldn't quite figure out. She kept trying to put it out of her mind, but on this night, more than before, it was there, ever present, making her worry.

_Something's coming . . . _she told herself. _I can feel it. Something's coming._

Her emerald-green eyes were glazed over as she just stared out the window at the stars. She tore them away after what seemed like hours and blinked a few times. Looking at her alarm clock, she sighed.

_I suppose I should try to get some sleep . . . it's nearly one in the morning._

With that, Lily stood up and walked over to her bed. She sat down and looked around her room. Everything seemed to be in order; her trunk was fully packed with her Hogwarts robes folded neatly on top. She had picked out the outfit she would be wearing the next day. She had cleaned up her room a bit so that her parents wouldn't have to look at a mess for months. She was as prepared for school as she could be, so why was she so uneasy about September 1st?

Lily sighed again and laid down. She double-checked her clock, making sure the alarm was set. Lying next to the alarm clock was a thin wand made of willow, and a small silver badge. Lily picked up the badge off of the nightstand.

"Head Girl," she whispered, reading the engraving on the badge and smiling softly. "I wonder who the Head Boy is? Hmm, probably Remus." She then placed the badge back on the little table and rubbed her eyes, finally feeling the tiniest bit of tiredness. Lily pulled her blanket up over her head and fell asleep a few minutes later.

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_Lily was floating. She was wearing a light blue nightgown, and she was very cold. Her eyes darted from one place to another. She was a few feet off the ground, but she could tell she was on the astronomy tower at Hogwarts, close to the edge. She looked down and saw fires burning on the ground. There were bodies everywhere, teachers and students. People she knew. Her own friends. Suddenly, she heard a loud popping noise come from behind her. Lily tried to turn around and see what it was, but she couldn't. She tried to scream, but someone was holding a hand over her mouth. An icy, white hand with long fingers . . ._

"Evans! Evans, wake up! Lily-"

She gasped and sat bolt upright. It was still dark, and her bedroom window was open, letting in the chilly night air. Lily glanced around her room, not realizing that someone was sitting on the edge of her bed. Her blanket had fallen off while she slept, and she could feel cold sweat on her forehead. She rapidly wiped it off. _It was just a dream . . . _she told herself, not really believing it, and tried to calm down. Then, her eyes narrowed, and she noticed.

Just as she was about to scream, James Potter whipped out his wand and muttered, _"Silencio."_ He distinctly saw Lily mouth the word, 'POTTER!' and unfortunately, his Silencing Charm did not prevent her from pushing him off the bed. James flew into the wall and landed on the floor with a thud. When he lifted his head and adjusted his glasses, he saw that Lily had her feet on the floor and her fists raised. James needed to explain, and fast, for she looked as though she was going to beat him into a bloody pulp.

"Lily," he began. "I know this doesn't look too good, but listen to me, okay? I'm here on Dumbledore's orders." At the mention of Dumbledore's name, Lily's eyebrows raised, and she lowered her fists a couple of inches. James sat up, and continued. "We need to leave as soon as possible. Dumbledore said that an owl was sent to you, but apparently it was intercepted. Mine was, too. He came to see Sirius and I personally last night."

Lily placed her hands in her lap and mouthed, 'Dumbledore?'

"Yes," James replied. "Lily, if I remove the Silencing Charm, you're not going to scream, right? Because it's been a long night . . ."

Lily crossed her arms and pursed her lips, but she shook her head. With a wave of James's wand, she could speak again.

"Potter, what on earth is going on?"

"We need to get to the train station. The train is leaving early. In . . ." James checked his watch. "In thirty minutes, actually. Five A.M. sharp. So we need to hurry." With that, James stood up. He walked over to Lily and held out his hand. She ignored it and got up, as well. She started walking towards the outfit that was hanging in her closet, but she stopped when James placed a hand on her arm. "There's no time. Look, I'm in pajamas, too." And he was. "So, just grab what you need, and we can catch the train."

Lily turned around. "What about my parents, Potter? My mum and dad? Petunia? On second thought, forget Petunia, but what about-"

James interrupted her, pulling an envelope out of his pocket as he spoke. "Dumbledore wrote them a note telling them that the train was leaving early. All you have to do is leave it on your bed."

Lily snatched the envelope from James's hand. The front of it read, _To Mr. And Mrs. Richard Evans, _and it was in Dumbledore's handwriting. Lily gasped and flew to her nightstand. She turned off the alarm on her clock and picked up her wand, which she then realized had been there the whole time she was under the Silencing Charm. Lily stuffed it into the pocket of her grey pajama pants in exasperation. She took her badge from the nightstand, as well, pinning it to her white tee so she wouldn't forget it. Grabbing her blanket off the floor, she quickly tried to make her bed look neat.

"Here," James offered, taking the blanket from her hands. "I'll do it. You get ready."

Lily rolled her eyes, but she nodded. She silently ran to the bathroom across the hall and started brushing her teeth. When she returned to her room, her bed was made, and the envelope was lying on top of the comforter. "Otter, ow idoo ett ear?" Lily asked, her toothbrush still in her mouth.

"What?"

Lily ran back to the bathroom and rinsed her mouth out. She glanced at herself in the mirror. Her long, wavy red hair looked a bit messy, but she just pulled some stray locks to the side and secured them with a bobby pin. When she came back to her bedroom, she threw her toothbrush in her trunk and closed it. "I said, 'Potter, how did you get here?' "

"I apparated."

"Oh . . . right," Lily said, remembering the loud popping noise in her dream. "So, are we apparating to the train station?"

"No, we're flying." He pointed to a broom that was standing up against a wall. "There was a spell put on the station this morning so that nobody can apparate within a mile of it."

"So that's why you're here. You're the only one with a broom. But how did you know-"

"Violet told me."

"And now you know where I live! Remind me to give Violet a piece of my mind."

"Lily, this isn't the time . . ."

"And _why_ do you keep calling me 'Lily'? I thought we were on a last-name basis, Potter." Lily pulled on a black jacket and dragged her trunk to the window.

James set to work on tying the trunk to his broom. "I grew up a bit over the summer, I guess," he said pointedly.

Lily stared at him, astounded. "You grew up? Am I hearing this right? So this means no more arrogance, no more pranks, no more picking on Slytherins . . ."

James finished tying, and faced Lily. "I said, 'a bit'. Are you ready? We've only got fifteen minutes."

"I think so, but what's going on?" Lily asked for the second time. "Just tell me something. Anything! Why is the train leaving early? What's happening?"

James looked away and brought his hand up to ruffle his already untidy black hair. "I don't know."

Lily placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face toward her. "Yes you do. Please, tell me."

James's hazel eyes met Lily's green ones. He knew her too well; she would refuse to leave if he did not explain what was going on. He had to tell her. James pulled Lily's hand down, away from his face, and held it in his own.

"Lily . . . he's coming."

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**A/N: Well, I hope you liked the first chapter! The idea just came to me one night, and I went along with it. The second chapter will be up very soon! Thank you for reading, and please review!**

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**By: SammyLynn**


	2. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

**Hearts and Minds**

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**Chapter Two: Aboard the Hogwarts Express**

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"Voldemort?".

"Yes, Voldemort."

"Is this some kind of prank, Potter?" Lily removed her hand from his and laughed, but James could see the slight fear in her eyes. "Why would he be after me?"

"Lily, I wouldn't joke about this. And it's not just you . . . it's all of us," James said seriously. "He's trying to gain followers. Don't tell me you didn't notice the Slytherins dropping like flies last year. First Avery, then Nott . . . Sirius's own cousin has made it clear that she isn't coming back to school this year."

"Bellatrix?" asked Lily.

"Yes. Anyway, Dumbledore said he uncovered a plot for an attack at King's Cross Station, so he sent owls to all of the students yesterday, telling them that the train would be leaving at five o'clock instead of ten. He put charms on the messages so that if anyone but the person they were intended for touched them, they would burn instantly. When he didn't get replies from Sirius and I, we found him knocking on the door at three o'clock this morning. He told us that he hadn't heard from you and Violet either, so while my parents took our things to the train station, Sirius and I walked down the street to Violet's house, and-"

"Poor Violet."

James sighed and quickly looked at his watch again. "Yes, well, we've got to go, we have ten minutes to get to King's Cross." He tossed his Cleansweep outside the window and it hovered there while he hoisted the trunk and then himself through.

Once he was on the broom, he held his hand out to Lily once more. Again she ignored it, and climbed out the window herself, hopping onto the broom, sitting behind James. He waited for her to close the window.

"Aren't you going to hold on?" James asked Lily when she didn't put her arms around his waist.

"Yes, and give you bragging rights? I think not!"

"Suit yourself."

James took off into the night. Lily yelped and quickly wrapped her arms around James.

"You mention this to anyone Potter," she threatened, breathing heavily, "and I'll hex you myself."

"Wouldn't dream of it," said James, grinning.

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They made it to King's Cross with barely a minute to spare. As they rushed through the train station towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten, early-morning travelers stared at the broom James was carrying, but he didn't have time to try and hide it. When he and Lily reached the barrier, they leaned casually against it and disappeared, reappearing on platform nine and three-quarters.

Out of the corner of his eye, James saw his parents looking around for him anxiously. He started walking to them, but then he noticed that the train had started moving. Instead, he simply waved goodbye, and ran after Lily, jumping on the train just in time.

They wandered the halls of the Hogwarts Express, looking for their friends. They knew they had found the right compartment when they smelled the scent of dung bombs. Lily and James both put their hands over their noses and slid open the compartment door.

Then came the booming voice of none other than Sirius Black. "WORMTAIL!" he shouted. "I told you to hide the dung bombs, not set one of them off! If Prongs and Evans actually _do _make it-"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Padfoot."

Sirius turned around, his dark hair falling elegantly into his grey eyes. "Oh, there you are."

"Lily!" gasped Lily's best friend, Violet Vance, who stood up to give her a hug.

"Hi Violet! How was your summer?" asked Lily.

"Great, until these two showed up on my doorstep at three-thirty this morning," said Violet, her amethyst-colored eyes darting to James and Sirius before she sat back down beside the window. "Yours?"

Lily placed her trunk on the rack above them, then sat down opposite Violet, next to a brown-haired boy named Remus Lupin. "The same, except an hour later, and just Potter." The girls laughed.

Remus spoke up. "You know, they _are _standing right there."

Violet and Lily just shrugged.

Just then, two more girls entered the compartment looking exhausted. They were both wearing pajamas, like the rest of the seventh years. One girl, Claire Hepburn, had dark circles around her brown eyes, and the other, Anna Clarke, had short, curly blonde hair that was sticking up in random spots. They pushed by James and Sirius and made their way towards Lily and Violet. They threw their luggage on the floor and sat down, leaning against it.

Claire rubbed her tired-looking eyes and tugged on the hair elastic that was holding her long, ebony locks. "Do any of you have a clue as to what's going on?"

Sirius looked at James, who in turn glanced sharply at Lily. She got the hint. "Not the faintest," she said.

"Well, hello to you, too, Claire," remarked Violet, tucking a strand of her shoulder-length dark brown hair behind her right ear.

Claire gave a small laugh and pushed Violet's leg. "Do you _know _what time it is?"

"Mm hmm!" Violet replied.

Lily giggled. She knew that Violet was a night owl, and probably had not slept at all.

"Let me guess," said Anna. "You didn't sleep, did you, Violet?"

"Nah, sleeping is for quitters."

"I'll second that," said Sirius, who was watching Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, with disgust. He was dozing in the corner closest to the compartment door, clutching an open package of dung bombs in his chubby hands.

Violet looked at him and grinned. "Too bad nobody asked you, Black."

Sirius flashed Violet a charming smile. She and Lily just rolled their eyes, impervious to the effect of Sirius's handsomeness. Claire and Anna, on the other hand, sighed.

"Well, that's my cue to leave . . . I need to go to the Heads' compartment," Lily informed the rest. She stood up and walked to the door, sliding it open.

James's eyes widened. "And where would that be?"

Lily looked at him strangely. "Why? Not going to stalk me, are you, Potter? It's at the front of the train."

"Oh, right . . ." James scratched his head. He reached into his pocket and took out a piece of paper, looking it over.

Lily scoffed and turned back. "Are you coming, Remus?"

Remus stood up as well, pinning a badge to his shirt. "I'm heading to the Prefects' compartment, so I suppose I'll see you at some point."

"Wait . . . you're not . . .?" Lily asked, looking confused.

Remus just shook his head and walked out of the compartment.

As Lily was closing the door, Claire said, "So tell me again why we're on the train five hours early?" and she could have sworn she heard Sirius reply, "Because I'm good-looking."

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As Lily waited for the new Head Boy to show up in the compartment, she debated who it could be. _It might be Patrick Dubois from Ravenclaw, or maybe even that Hufflepuff boy, Quentin Macmillan, . . . I just hope it's not _Snivellus,_ because that would just make my last year at Hogwarts an absolute hell . . . well, it could be worse, I suppose, they could have appointed someone like Potter . . . _Lily laughed out loud. _What a joke . . . _

"What are you laughing at?"

Lily's smile faltered. She recognized that voice. "No . . ." she said, and looked up. James was standing in the compartment doorway. "James, urgh, _Potter, _you should leave, the Head Boy will be here any second, and we have important things to . . ." Lily trailed off. She had noticed a silver pin on James's shirt.

Lily pushed herself as far away from him as she could. "This is _not _happening," she whispered.

James closed the compartment door and leaned against it. "What, am I not up to your standards?"

"First, you show up in my bedroom in the middle of the night, and now I find out I have to spend my entire seventh year working with you?" Lily suddenly stood up. "Alright, WHERE'S ROD SERLING?"

James raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Oh, _nothing, _I'm just in the Twilight Zone, is all!"Lily yelled, and turned towards the window of the compartment, leaning her elbows on the ledge.

"Rod Serling . . . that name rings a bell," said James, thinking. Then, he snapped his fingers. "My father was telling me about him! He's a famous American wizard, he-"

"I _can't _believe this is happening!" Lily cut in, turning around to face him. "You! James Potter! Head Boy?!" She threw her hands up in the air. "What is the world coming too?"

Suddenly, James put a finger to his lips. "Shh!" He took several steps towards her.

Lily stared at him. "P . . . Potter? What are you doing?"

"Nothing . . . just, don't move for a second, okay?"

James took another step, and another, and then another. Now, they were merely inches apart. Lily felt her face burning. "Potter?" she asked, barely making any noise.

"Lily . . . I thought I saw something. . ." James said quietly. Lily looked up at him, and finally realized he was not looking down at her. James was looking past her; out the window, with a slightly spooked look on his face. "A broom . . ." he continued.

Lily tried to turn and look out the window, but James gasped, his hazel eyes narrowing on something behind Lily. "What the . . . no!"

"Potter, what-" But Lily did not have time to finish what she was going to say, for James had grabbed her and turned around, pushing her away from the window as fast as he could.

The last thing they both heard was the muffled cackle of a young witch, and an enormous blast, knocking them clear off their feet.

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**A/N: THE END. Hehe, just kidding. Well, that's the second chapter! I hope you liked it. I'll be posting the third quite soon, I expect. Oh! And thank you so much for my reviews, reviewers . . . marauderbabe289, LunaBella 006, CluelessWanderer, Maxie1514, blueholly, and classicjs. And a special thank you to LunaBella 006, it's such a complement to have made it onto your favorite stories list! I'd also like to give a shout-out to classicjs, who is my editor-in-chief, haha. Thanks again, everyone!**

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**By: SammyLynn**


	3. Plans

**Hearts and Minds**

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**Chapter Three: Plans**

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It was nearing sundown when Bellatrix Black made it back to her hideout in the hills located near the village of Hogsmeade. When she landed, she dusted off the hem of her robes and looked around to see if anyone was watching her, but there was nobody to be found. She sighed, and, taking a wand out of her pocket, muttered a quick, _"Wingardium Leviosa!"_

A large rock that had been laying up against the side of the hill flew up into the air and landed several feet away from a cave that it had previously been hiding. Bellatrix stepped into the cave and used her wand to move the rock back into place.

She turned around. "Rodolphus?" she called, her eyes having trouble adjusting to the darkness within the cave. "Rodolphus, where are you? Ugh!" Bellatrix had tripped over something, or someone, lying on the ground. _"Lumos!" _she whispered. The tip of her wand instantly gave light to the dingy cave.

She heard a grunt come from somewhere to her left. "Rodolphus! There you are…wake up, wake up!"

Rodolphus Lestrange slowly picked his head up off the floor and leaned back against the wall of the cave. "Yes, Bella?"

"You'll _never_ guess what I did today!" she squealed.

"And what would that be, my dear?"

"I attacked the Hogwarts Express! Lucius said I didn't have it in me, but I proved _him _wrong! Oh, the little kiddies were so scared, you should have seen their faces, Rodolphus! It was positively lovely." Bellatrix looked as if Christmas had come early.

"Was anyone hurt?" asked Rodolphus carelessly.

"Oh yes, dear. None other than the Head Boy and Head Girl themselves! That stupid Potter boy that my idiot cousin hangs around with, and his Mudblood girlfriend. He tried to save her, too…it was very touching."

Rodolphus laughed. "That's my girl."

Suddenly, there was a resounding crack, and Lucius Malfoy appeared before the couple. He stared at them in disdain. "Get up off the ground, will you? You're crawling around in the dirt like Mudblood scum."

They both stood on command.

"Lucius, did you hear?" Bellatrix said, giggling girlishly.

Lucius started pacing back and forth. "Yes, I heard about your little stunt," he said. Then he rounded on her. "You were SEEN!" Lucius shouted, his voice echoing throughout the small cave. "Did you know that, Bellatrix?!"

The smirk was wiped clean off of her face. "N-no . . ." Bellatrix stuttered.

Lucius exhaled sharply and started pacing again. "Nevertheless . . . the Dark Lord is pleased with you. But it is time now to stop playing games. He wants to see you . . . tonight. He has plans for you."

"Me?" Bellatrix gasped in delight. "The Dark Lord wants to see _me? _Oh, I told you, didn't I? I told you that one day, one day I would be his greatest, most loyal servant!"

"You have much to learn, Bellatrix," said Lucius darkly. "You are to meet him in the alleyway beside the Hog's Head at eleven o'clock, sharp. Alone," he added, sparing a glance at Rodolphus.

"Ah! Thank you, Lucius! Now if you'll both excuse me, I have to tell Narcissa!"

She kissed her fiancé good-bye, and with a snap of her fingers, Bellatrix was gone.

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"It's all my fault," said Sirius for the fifth time that day, covering his face with his hands.

"How is it your fault, Black?" asked Violet. "You were nowhere near Lily and James when it happened."

"I know, but it was my cousin who did it . . . I can't help but feel responsible."

"How do you even know it was her?"

"Remus saw her, the entire Prefects' compartment saw what she did."

James could hear Sirius and Violet talking, but he refrained from opening his eyes. He just wanted to lie in the warmth of the hospital bed for a bit longer . . .

"I mean," Sirius continued. "James let me stay with him for months, and this is how I repay him?"

James rolled his eyes behind his eyelids and tried to move his left arm, but it wouldn't budge. So instead, he used his right arm to fling a pillow towards the place where he heard Sirius's voice.

"Oy!"

"Stop being such a prat, Padfoot," said James, finally opening his weary eyes. He saw Sirius's blurry form leaning towards him.

"No wonder you're so good at Quidditch, mate. You can hit me in the head with a pillow when you're eyes are closed."

James grinned. "I've just had a lot of practice." He looked around for his glasses, and spotted them on a nightstand beside his bed. Sure enough, when he put them on, he saw the all-too-familiar setting of the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. Sirius was sitting next to him on his right, and Violet was sitting on his left, closer to another hospital bed.

James's heart skipped a beat when he saw who was lying in the bed next to him.

It was Lily.

James tried to sit up, but he did so far to quickly and got dizzy. Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, rushed in and tried to force him back onto his pillow, but he paid no attention. He was staring worriedly at the red-headed girl lying beside him.

Lily was lying on her side, facing James, with one hand close to her chin. Violet was holding the other. Lily had a white bandage on her forehead, which was half-concealed by her thick hair. The bandage was tinted red at some spots. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was even.

"Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter! Please, lay down . . ."

Finally, James did as he was told.

"How are you feeling?" asked Madam Pomfrey.

James still had his eyes on Lily. "Is she alright?"

"She'll be fine, Mr. Potter. How are _you?"_

"Okay," James replied, sighing in relief. He tried moving his left arm again. This time he made his wrist turn; however, it was only a slight movement. "Erm, Madam Pomfrey, why can't I move my arm?"

The nurse sighed as well. "It was broken when you came in yesterday. I mended it, but it must still be numb. Now, please excuse me, I have to alert the Headmaster . . ." she walked back to her office.

"I'm sorry, mate," said Sirius. "It's my stupid family, they're all just-"

"Sirius, cut it out," said James. "You said yourself that they aren't really your family."

Sirius leaned back in his chair, scowling. "They aren't. They're just a bunch of ignorant b-"

"Exactly. You're not like them, none of this is your fault . . . er . . . what happened, anyway?" asked James, using his good hand to ruffle his hair. "All I remember is seeing Bellatrix through the window, and I pushed Lily out of the way, and then . . . nothing."

Violet spoke up. "Remus was up in the Prefect compartment, and he said he just heard an explosion come from the compartment across from theirs. He opened the door to look inside, and saw that half of the compartment had been blasted away. He and the other Prefects saw Bellatrix flying along with the train. Apparently, she waved to them, and flew off. That's when they found you and Lily, on the floor near the compartment door. You'd been knocked out."

James raised his eyebrows. "I hadn't noticed."

Violet rolled her eyes. "Still arrogant, even when you're in a hospital bed."

Sirius gave a bark of laughter. "That wasn't arrogance, it was sarcasm."

"Don't you ever quit?" Violet asked, glaring at Sirius through her dark bangs. "And you!" she said, shifting her eyes to James, who had started laughing, too. "You should change your act, or you'll never have a chance with Lily."

James glared right back at her. "I _have _changed. And who says I want a chance with Ev-Lily, anyway?"

"I think all of the times you asked her out in the past few years kind-of gave it away, Prongs," said Sirius.

James fought the redness that was threatening to color his cheeks. "So, where's everyone else?" he asked, changing the subject altogether.

"Oh, they're in class," said Violet.

Sirius grinned. "We've been taking turns, with, er, _headaches,_ all day."

"Oh, hello, Professor Dumbledore," James said politely, looking around his best friend.

Sirius laughed. "That's really funny, Prongs."

"Is it, Mr. Black?" came a calm, quiet voice from the Hospital Wing entrance.

Sirius whipped around. "Oh, hello, Professor."

Madam Pomfrey came back out of her office for a moment. "Oh, Professor Dumbledore! I was just about to tell you that Mr. Potter is awake. I should have guessed that you would already know . . ." she muttered, entering her office once again, this time closing the door.

Albus Dumbledore remained standing at the door, looking at his students through his half-moon spectacles. "I trust your, er, _headaches, _are feeling much better now?" he asked.

Violet smiled. "Much better, Professor! I'll head back to Transfiguration."

"Ah, yes Miss Vance, I do believe Professor McGonagall is waiting for you both."

Violet let go of her best friend's hand and placed it with the other one that was lying beside her serene face. She took one last look at her. "Please wake up, Lily," she said sadly. "I can't take much more of the Marauders without you!" she added in a rather hasty whisper. Then she turned her attention to James. "Potter, don't you dare touch her!" Without another word, Violet left the Hospital wing.

James just stared at her retreating form in shock until Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about her. See you later, mate."

"But I . . . I would _never . . ."_

Sirius gave James a wave, and left the room.

"Fear not, Mr. Potter. I believe Miss Vance is simply concerned about her friend."

"But that's just _absurd . . ."_

"Absurd as it may be, I believe Miss Evans is stirring," Dumbledore said, nodding to the bed next to James.

And so she was.

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**A/N: Hopefully this one wasn't as much of a cliffhanger . . . hehe. Thank you to br0wn3y3sgur1, Eve1960, Lady of Crimson Emerant, blueholly, JustCallMeDollface, Luvguurl, orangeokapi13, cerdinalz, and LyraCrevin for reviewing. Nine reviews for one chapter? Yay! **

**Lady of Crimson Emerant: Thank you so much! Yeah, I figured that Lily would probably be pissed if she found James in her bedroom in the middle of the night . . . haha.**

**blueholly: Aww, you're welcome! And I'm glad you think my story is unique.**

**JustCallMeDollface: Thanks! I hoped it would be original!**

**Thanks again, everyone! I hope you liked this chapter . . . I was really pleased with the beginning. Please review! Tell me how I'm doing, I don't mind constructive criticism!**

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**By: SammyLynn**


	4. The Art of Divination

**Hearts and Minds**

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**Chapter Four: The Art of Divination**

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_Lily was walking along the snowy streets of Hogsmeade late at night. Her small feet were soaked, but she knew she had to get somewhere. Flurries fell softly on her shoulders, and every so often she would brush them off. Suddenly, she heard noises. It sounded as though someone was walking close behind her. Lily felt a soft prickling on the back of her neck, and held her breath. Slowly, she turned around. _

_There was nobody in sight. She exhaled and walked on, shivering in the cold. The road was getting darker and darker; many shops were closed, their lights having been turned out hours before. Only a few glowing street lamps remained to dimly light Lily's way. She shivered again and clutched the blanket that was covering her closer to her body. Wait . . . blanket? Why was she wearing a blanket?_

Lily's emerald-green eyes opened slightly. The bright light, coming from the windows of what had to be a room at Hogwarts, was blinding, and she was still groggy from . . . well, from whatever had happened on the train. She put a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. Sure enough, she was in the Hospital Wing. She could hear some rustling coming from Madam Pomfrey's small office.

"Good afternoon, Miss Evans," said a calm voice in front of her.

Lily looked up, surprised. "Oh, hello, Professor Dumbledore." She lifted herself up on her elbows and felt her forehead with her hand. When she touched the bandage, it stung. "Ah!"

"How are you feeling, Lily?" asked someone to her right.

"James . . .?" Lily raised an eyebrow and turned. James was lying on the hospital bed next to hers, looking concerned.

In an instant, it all came back to her.

James Potter had been appointed Head Boy . . . Lily had pushed herself away from him on the train . . . James was coming towards her, looking out the window behind her . . . he grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her out of the way . . . _shoved her out of the way? _He had tried to save her. . .

She had heard the faintest sound of laughter . . . and then, nothing.

Lily stared at James as though she were looking at a stranger. "Who are . . .? What were . . .? _What the-"_

"Before you finish, Miss Evans," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling behind his glasses as he walked towards them, "I'd like to speak with you and Mr. Potter about what happened yesterday."

"Oh . . . right," said Lily, blushing slightly. She propped herself up on her pillow, and noticed that James had cast a bewildered glance her way.

"First and foremost," began Dumbledore, suddenly looking more somber than he had before, "I would like to apologize. The attack itself is my fault entirely. Bellatrix Black had foreseen what I would propose we do when I found out about the original attack planned for later that day. I suppose it is an old man's mistake, trusting too easily, thinking my plans are foolproof . . ." He sighed. "I am truly sorry, Lily and James, that you were involved."

James looked indignant. "But Professor, it's _not _your fault, Bella's just a-"

Dumbledore put his hand up, his eyes twinkling again. "I am sure that what you have to say about her is painfully correct, however, please let me continue."

With respect to Dumbledore, James closed his mouth immediately.

"I also would like to congratulate the both of you on your new ranks of Head Boy and Head Girl. You are both incredibly intelligent, and despite what you think, I believe you will be fine working together this year."

"Thank you, sir," said Lily.

"Yes, er . . . thanks," James muttered, scratching his head. Then, he brought his hand down in front of his face and turned his wrist a few times. "Hey! I can move my left arm now!"

The old Headmaster smiled at his students. "Well, if the two of you are feeling better, you may head up to your dormitories and get settled."

"It _would _be nice to change these clothes," Lily murmured, realizing that she was still in pajamas.

"You are probably hungry, as well," Dumbledore said.

As if on cue, James's stomach gave a loud grumble.

Dumbledore laughed. "Lunch will be served in about half an hour. Then, you can attend your afternoon classes, which, if I am correct, will be double Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws, and Divination, respectively."

Both Lily and James grimaced at the mention of Divination. The woman who taught it was completely crazy. They knew the subject was a waste of their time, but took it only because they both did exceptionally well in the class.

James moved his legs over the side of the hospital bed and stood up, stretching for the first time in hours. "I assume Professor Jesper is alive and well?" he asked.

"Healthy as an ox," Dumbledore replied in an offhand manner.

Lily couldn't help but grin as she, too, stood up, and put on her shoes. When the two students were ready, Dumbledore held the door for them as they exited the Hospital Wing.

"Oh, and two more things," he said. "I have some duties to go over with the two of you, so if you'll please visit my office later on this evening, we can discuss them. The password is 'jelly slugs'. As for the second, the current password for Gryffindor Tower is 'quibble'. Professor McGonagall will be notifying you of any changes."

Lily and James nodded, and turned to leave.

"But Professor, what time . . .?" Lily asked, turning back, but Dumbledore was already gone.

She sighed. "I can't believe he blames himself for what happened."

"I know," James said as they started walking back to Gryffindor tower. "I suppose I would feel responsible if I was in the same situation, though."

"You? Responsible?" Lily sneered, but as soon as she said the words, she wished she could have taken them back. She could have sworn she saw hurt flicker in James's face.

Staring at her shoes as they climbed the marble staircase, Lily was feeling worse and worse with every step she took. "I'm sorry I said that," she finally told him. ". . . James."

James glanced at her, slightly surprised. "It's okay."

"No, it's not . . . I guess it was just sort-of a . . . a reflex. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted."

They continued walking for a few moments without saying a word to each other. When they reached the seventh floor, Lily stopped, her face pale.

James looked back at her. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking worried.

"I'm fine," Lily replied. "It's just . . . thank you."

"Okay, you're going back to Madam Pomfrey," James said, taking her by the arm and leading her back to the stairs.

"No, James, please . . . just let me do this," she said, staring at the ground.

"Do what?" he asked, letting go of her arm.

Lily could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to meet them with her own. "I . . . I want to thank you for - for what you did on the train."

Finally, she glanced up at him. He seemed at a loss for words. "Yeah, well . . . it didn't help much, did it? You were still hurt." James started walking towards the portrait of the Fat Lady that was concealing the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

Lily ran to catch up with him. "It's just the fact that you did it, James," she said when they reached the painting.

"What do you want me to say?"

Lily frowned. "Nothing, I . . . I just wanted you to know. Quibble."

The portrait swung open to reveal a cozy, warm common room decorated with red and gold.

"You know, Lily, it's just a bit too much for me to handle right now. First, you call me by my first name, then you apologize to me. Next thing I know, you're thanking me." James grinned. "After you," he said.

Then, just as Lily was about to climb through the portrait hole, she did something she had never done before.

She smiled at him.

-------

When they arrived in the Great Hall half an hour later, cleaned up and dressed in their Hogwarts robes, their friends were waiting for them.

"What took you two so long?" Sirius joked.

Lily looked at him with distaste, and walked over to her friends.

"Has anyone ever told you what great timing you have, Padfoot?" James asked, clapping his friend on the shoulder as he sat down beside him.

"Every day of my life," he replied.

The Marauders began conversing in low tones.

"So you're feeling better, Lily?" Violet asked as her best friend took the seat next to her. She was eyeing the bandage on Lily's forehead nervously.

"I'm fine, Violet. See?" Lily then put together a plate with a little bit of everything that was on the table and began eating lunch.

Violet giggled and took a bite of her sandwich.

"So what did I miss this morning?" Lily asked, glancing up at Claire and Anna, who were sitting across from her.

"Basically a bunch of long, boring talks about the importance of NEWTs," said Claire, stabbing moodily at her mashed potatoes with her fork.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Potions and Transfiguration," she said helpfully. "Slughorn said he'd be starting with healing potions next class, so we're to read up on them. He was downright depressed when you weren't in class, Lily. You're his favorite."

"Oh, and Lily," Violet said, covering her mouth to conceal the fact that she was still chewing. "McGonagall said that we're going to be learning about Metamorphmagi soon! Isn't that great? I think they're so interesting . . ."

Lily nodded. After a few moments, she said, "Er . . . what are they?"

"They're people who can change their appearance at will," Violet answered.

"Wish I was one," Anna remarked, tugging on a blond curl. "I'd straighten this mess."

Claire pulled her own long, dark hair over her shoulder. "At least your hair does something!"

Lily and Violet exchanged glances.

"I think it's time for class," Lily said, smirking.

The group of seventh years, minus Peter, who wasn't taking NEWT Defense Against the Dark Arts, got up from the table at the same time. As they were walking into the Entrance Hall, a tall, handsome boy came up beside Lily.

"Hey, Lily," he said.

It was Patrick Dubois, from Ravenclaw.

"Oh, hi, Patrick," Lily replied.

"You're going to Defense Against the Dark Arts, right? Can I walk you to class?"

James glared at Patrick, but it went unnoticed to all except Sirius, who dragged him away towards the classroom.

"Oh!" Lily blushed. She suddenly felt very self-conscious about the bandage on her forehead. "I . . . I suppose . . ." She shot Violet a meaningful look, but she simply gave Lily a thumbs up and hurried along behind Claire, Anna, and the Marauders.

Patrick took her book bag from her shoulder. "So, how was your summer?" he asked.

"It was great, actually . . . my sister was a pain, but that's no surprise. Other than that, it was rather relaxing . . ." Lily laughed. "That is, until James Potter showed up, sitting on my bloody bed in the middle of the night, just before school started."

Patrick raised his eyebrows.

Lily's eyes widened. "I mean, erm . . . it's not what it sounds like! I hadn't been notified about the train, and he was the only one with a broom, so . . ."

Patrick grinned. "Sounds like an interesting night."

"Hey!" Lily swatted his arm, laughing. "What about you? Any dangerous encounters over the summer?"

"Can't say so. By the way, congratulations on making Head Girl, even though I'm sure the year didn't start out the way you thought it would."

Lily grinned. "Thank you . . . I was so shocked when I received the letter," she said modestly.

"Nah, you shouldn't have been, you're one of the best students at this school!"

The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was nearly full when they walked in. Lily bid Patrick farewell and went to sit with the other Gryffindors, who were all huddled together, laughing at a joke made by Sirius.

Lily sat down beside Violet, who nudged her in the ribs. "So how was your walk with _Patrick Dubois?" _she asked.

Lily smiled. "It was nothing . . . oh look! There's Professor Byrne."

Defense Against the Dark Arts passed by slower than ever. Professor Byrne, who was usually a very lively teacher, bored them all with a speech about NEWTs. She did tell them, however, that they would be learning more about the Unforgivable Curses and how to recognize them, in later classes.

When class let out, Lily, Violet, James, and Sirius, the only ones taking Divination, hurried up to the top of the North Tower, where the class was held.

"Remind me again why we're taking this ridiculous class, Prongs," Sirius said as he climbed the ladder that led into the classroom.

"Because it's easy," replied James, following Sirius up the latter. "We make up a bunch of stuff, and the old half-wit gives us an O."

"Can't say I disagree with you guys," Violet chimed in when they entered the room, which smelled strongly of tea. The four Gryffindors sat down and waited for other students to arrive. "I mean," Violet continued, "even Lily says the same."

"I do not!" Lily insisted. "Oh, alright. It's true, though! The class was just too easy to give up."

"Hello, students!" came a crackling voice from the shadows. Then, Professor Jesper emerged from a dark corner in the room carrying four teacups. She was a short, wrinkly old woman who was hunched over, and the tea was spilling over the sides of the teacups as she made her way to the circular table that the four students were sitting at. She slowly placed a cup in front of each person. "It seems as though the Hufflepuffs that were supposed to join us today have chosen to drop the class. I always had a feeling . . . so be it. Anyway, I'd like you all to finish the tea, and when you're done, demonstrate to me the correct way to read tea leaves, and tell me what yours say about the future."

"But Professor," Sirius said. "We read tea leaves back in third year!"

"Ah, yes, Mr. Black! However, my Inner Eye sees all," she said, tapping her temple with a gnarled finger. "And I believe a full review will be necessary to pass your NEWTs." The Professor walked away, humming to herself.

The students sighed, not really trusting what was in the tea. They all remembered vividly what happened in their third year; half of their class was sick for a week after drinking it.

James gulped and took the first sip. "It's okay . . . I think."

The others shrugged and followed suit. After they drained their teacups, they placed them upside down on their saucers and let the tea leaves form.

Violet was the first to reveal her tea leaves. "Does that look like a skull to you?" she asked, showing Lily her plate.

"Maybe . . ." she replied. "Doesn't that mean that there's danger in your path? Uh oh, Violet, you'd better be careful."

Violet smirked. "Very funny."

"Hey, I think this is an acorn!" Sirius exclaimed. "Guess I've got some gold coming my way. Maybe I won't have to stay at your place forever, after all," he said, grinning at James.

Lily lifted her teacup and narrowed her eyes. "There are a lot of symbols on mine . . . three, I think."

"Mine, too," said James, picking his saucer up.

"This looks like a cross," Lily told them, examining her plate. "And this one appears to be a-"

"A sun?" James asked.

Lily looked up and gave James a strange look. "Yes . . . how did you . . .?"

"I can't figure out what this last symbol is, though."

"Me neither."

"_The Grim," _whispered an ominous voice above them. They both dropped their saucers onto the table and looked up. Professor Jesper was hovering over them. The woman looked terrified; she had both of her hands clasped over her mouth, and they were shaking. "Well, that's all the time we have today, you four," she said after removing her hands from her face, though they were still quivering violently. "Next class, dream interpretation! Now, hurry along, hurry along!"

The four Gryffindors stood up and left the table, but not before taking a look at James and Lily's tea leaves.

They looked exactly the same.

-------

**A/N: Well, that's that! It was a long one, huh? Hmm, what's going to happen next? You'll find out soon enough! A HUGE thank you to XxEmeraldFlameXx, piggy396, kaylaaaa, Clueless Wanderer (twice!), Luvguurl, br0wn3y3sgur1, classicjs (twice!), james-s2-lily, Super Smexy Snuffles, Ravie Grint, JustCallMeDollface, and MoonsStagsDoggys (twice!), my reviewers. You guys are great!**

**kaylaaaa: Haha, thanks, I try to be funny.**

**classicjs: You're just too incredible for words. Thank you so much for editing my chapters!**

**Super Smexy Snuffles: You're review made me laugh out loud!**

**JustCallMeDollface: Hmm, maybe this chapter answered some of your questions . . .**

**MoonsStagsDoggys: LOVE your pen name, by the way! And thank you so much for the reviews, I'm so glad you stumbled upon my story!**

**Thanks again, everybody! This story is kind-of like my pride and joy right now, so I'm so happy that you all enjoy it! Please review!**

**PS - If you're all huge Harry Potter fans, which I expect you are, you should listen to the song, "Keep Holding On," by Avril Lavigne. It reminds me so much of HP!!!**

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**By: SammyLynn**


	5. Joining the Ranks

**Hearts and Minds**

-------

**Chapter Five: Joining the Ranks**

-------

"Ugh."

"Reviewing already? She's insane."

"An absolute nut! We studied dream interpretation in fifth year."

Lily, Violet, James, and Sirius were on their way back to Gryffindor tower to drop off their book bags before dinner.

"Er . . . what's a Grim?" Lily asked.

"It's nothing," replied James, staring at the floor in front of him.

Violet looked slightly nervous for a moment, but regained her composure in a second. "It's just a stupid Divination thing, nothing to worry about."

"Mm," said Lily, resolving to look it up in the library later that evening.

They arrived in the Gryffindor common room to find Remus reading in a chair by the roaring fire. Lily and Violet went up to their dormitory, while James and Sirius made their way over to where Remus was sitting.

"How was your free period, Moony?" asked James, dropping his book bag on the floor and leaning casually against the wall.

"Relaxing," Remus said, not removing his eyes from the book.

Sirius clutched at his heart. "Moony, I'm hurt."

James laughed. "Hey, have either of you seen old Snivellus around? Haven't spotted him all day . . ."

"Well, you've only been conscious for the past few hours, but yeah, he's still here, if that's what you mean," Remus answered, finally looking up at his friends.

"I bet he'll be joining Voldemort any day now," said Sirius darkly, crossing his arms.

Remus closed his book and stood up. "I don't know about that . . ."

"Yeah, he'd probably be rejected, too much of an oddball, that one." Sirius's stomach gave a loud grumble. "What do you say? Dinner time?"

James, Sirius, and Remus left the common room and met up with Peter on the fourth floor. He was panting, holding onto the railing of the staircase for support.

Sirius laughed. "Hey, Wormtail! How'd you make it all the way up here with those stubby legs?"

"Shove it, Sirius."

"Come on, Wormtail, it was just a joke," James said, patting him on the back.

"Whatever," Peter muttered, and stormed off down the corridor.

"You shouldn't have said that," Remus remarked. "Now he'll be ticked off for days. You know how he gets."

"It's just Wormtail. He'll get over it," Sirius said as they continued walking down to the Great Hall.

"Plus," said James with a smirk, "It's almost time for dinner, and food always makes him happy."

But Peter wasn't at dinner.

The three boys sat alone, discussing the next full moon, not really wondering what their friend was up to.

"It's in a couple of weeks," Remus informed them, looking weary at the mere mention of the event. "You know, if it wasn't for the actual transformations, it wouldn't be half as bad."

"Hey, that's why we became Animagi, mate," James whispered, "so we can make your, er, furry little problem, more fun."

Sirius laughed. "So the next one's still not for a while, huh? Too bad. What should we explore next? The Forbidden Forest is always a classic . . ." he said dangerously.

James nodded. "Yeah, but I was thinking about those hills behind Hogsmeade, something we've never . . ." he started, but James didn't finish what he was saying. He sat straight up, fists clenched, frowning at the other end of the table. Patrick Dubois had just come over from the Ravenclaw table and sat next to Lily. James scowled and turned back to Sirius and Remus. "Ugh, what does she see in that prat?"

"Well, he _is _a Prefect."

"And he _does_ do pretty well on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team."

"Thank you, you're both so kind."

Remus grinned. "We know."

James rolled his eyes. "As I was saying, the hills behind Hogsmeade-"

"James?"

"Are out-of-bounds, and we should never, under any circumstances, go there," he finished. He turned around. "Oh, hey, Lily! Didn't see you there."

Lily sighed. "Right. Well, I was wondering if you're done eating . . . we still have to go to Dumbledore's office tonight."

"Oh, right, of course, Dumbledore's office . . ."

James stood up from the table, and so did Sirius, who bent down and looked Lily straight in the eye. "Are you quite sure you're feeling okay, Lily?"

Lily took a step back, narrowing her eyes at him. "Yes, Sirius. Why do you ask?"

"You called my mate here by his first name. Hell, you just called _me _by my first name!"

Lily just looked up at the ceiling.

"Padfoot, sit down. We'll talk later. Come on, Lily."

They walked out of the Great Hall and navigated their way through the corridors to find Dumbledore's office. On the way, they met Severus Snape, who was leaving the library.

"So I see you survived, Mudblood," he spat.

James strode right up to Snape, his facial expression hostile. The two enemies were so close that their noses were almost touching. "Ten points from Slytherin, _Snivelly. _And if you ever so much as look at her again, you'll regret it."

"_Excellent," _Snape drawled. "It's not like I want that scum in my eyesight anyway."

James put a hand on Snape's shoulder and harshly shoved him against the wall.

"_James!" _Lily shouted.

He closed his eyes, knowing he had made a mistake. When he opened them again seconds later, it was only to glare at Snape. "We'll finish this later," James said to the greasy boy in a low tone. "Get lost, _Snivellus."_

Snape yanked his arm from James's grasp and took off in the opposite direction, muttering to himself.

Lily and James stood in silence for a moment, then began speaking at the same time.

"You can't just-"

"I'm sorry, but-

Lily looked up at him. "Let's just go."

They began walking again, the moving portraits pointing and whispering about them as they went by.

"Listen, Lily, I'm sorry, but I can't just stand by and watch that slimy git say things like that."

"I can defend myself, you know . . . and you're Head Boy, now, James. You've got to stop picking on him . . . no matter how much he deserves it."

He grinned inwardly. "I can't promise you anything, but I'll try," James replied. "Jelly slugs," he said as they reached the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office. It sprung to life and leapt to the side, allowing them to step on the revolving spiral staircase. They walked up to the highly-polished office door, and James struck the griffin-shaped brass knocker several times.

"You may enter," came a voice from within.

James opened the door and waited for Lily to walk in before him. He followed her inside and closed the door behind them. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, his hands clasped together over some paperwork, smiling pleasantly. He looked at them over his half-moon shaped glasses.

"Please, do take a seat," he said, motioning to the comfortable-looking chairs that were situated in front of his desk. Once Lily and James did as they were told, Dumbledore spoke again. "I assume your classes went well?"

Both students nodded.

"Excellent. On to business. First of all, The patrol schedule for this week is all set, and the Prefects have already been notified of their duties. However, I would like you to begin working on the schedules for the coming weeks. I believe it would be best if the two of you patrolled mostly on weekend nights. Also, I need you to set up the dates for the Hogsmeade visits, when you get the chance."

"Hogsmeade visits?" Lily asked. "Are you sure it's safe, Professor?"

"Not to worry, Miss Evans. The Ministry of Magic has placed extra security on the town of Hogsmeade, and the school, for that matter."

"Oh! Okay, then."

"Now, as Head Boy and Head Girl, you have your own small common room in order to get work done, as well as a bathroom, which is much like the Prefects' bathroom. They are located on the fifth floor, behind the tapestry of Morgana. The password is _'Scourgify'. _And, last but not least, I would like you to make arrangements for our annual Christmas Ball in the coming months. I will give you all of the guidelines later on this year. Do you have any questions?"

"No, sir."

"No, Professor."

"Very well, then," Dumbledore said, standing up. Lily and James followed suit.

The Headmaster walked over to his office door and opened it, holding it for his students. They bid him goodnight, and walked back down the spiral staircase. When they got to the corridor, the gargoyle sprang to life once more, and took his place guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"You go on up to the common room," Lily said, glancing at a clock nearby. It was nearly eight o'clock. "I have to get to the library before it closes."

James raised an eyebrow. "Lily, we haven't even gotten real homework yet."

"I'm not going for homework."

"Well, do you want me to come with you?"

"I think I can manage it on my own . . . but thank you, anyway." With that, Lily turned and hurried to the fourth floor.

When she arrived at the library and tried the door, it wouldn't budge. "Bloody _Pince," _Lily muttered under her breath. She took her wand from the pocket of her robes and pointed it at the handle. _"Alohomora."_

The lock clicked and the door swung slightly open. Lily peered inside, but the room was pitch black. _"Lumos," _she whispered, lighting the tip of her wand. She walked into the library, creeping slowly over to the Divination section. _"Offerings: An Official Record . . . Ogling Oracles . . . Omens!" _

Lily bent down and pulled a large, dusty book from one of the lower shelves. She placed it on a small table and opened it up to the index, illuminating the yellowed pages with the light from her wand. "G . . . the Grim! Page 207."

After flipping through for quite some time because the pages were ancient and stuck together, she finally found what she was looking for. There was a large picture of a black dog over a small, seemingly handwritten passage.

" 'The Grim is considered by many superstitious peoples to be the most frightening of all omens,' " Lily read quietly. " 'It is an omen of . . . of . . .' "

"Death," said a voice behind her.

Lily's breath caught in her throat and she whipped around, shining her wand on the intruder.

It was Peter Pettigrew.

Exhaling, Lily put a hand over her heart. "My goodness, Peter . . . you - you frightened me."

"Sorry," said Peter, although he didn't sound it.

Lily lowered her wand, noticing that Peter was wincing at the bright light. "Why are you here?" she asked.

Peter scowled. "Aren't you Head Girl? Why are _you _here? " he retorted.

"Well," Lily stated, avoiding the question. She briskly closed the book and placed it back on the shelf, forgetting about the Grim. "I think we should get back to our common rooms, don't you?"

"Fine, whatever." Peter followed her out of the library and took off to the dungeons without another word.

"Peter! Hey, Peter!" Lily called after him, but he didn't turn around. She shrugged and made her way up to Gryffindor Tower, all the while wondering what had Peter so angry.

"Quibble," she said, reaching the portrait of the Fat Lady several minutes later.

The painting swung forward, and an enormous "SURPRISE!" echoed through the hall. Lily put a finger to her lips, shushing the people within the common room, but she couldn't help smiling when she saw her friends, the Marauders, and many other students having a party. Pushing Peter's strange behavior out of her mind, Lily stepped through the portrait hole and was immediately whisked away to a table by Violet.

"Look, Lily! We made you a cake! . . . Well, _we _didn't, the house-elves did . . . but we put the icing on ourselves, see?" Violet pointed at the round chocolate cake, beaming.

Lily launched herself at her best friend, hugging her tightly around the shoulders. "Thank you so much!"

"Do you like our banner, too, Lily?" Anna asked, walking over with Claire.

Lily glanced up. Sure enough, there was a banner hanging over the fireplace, reading, 'Congratulations, Lily and James!' The phrase was written in red and gold, with a lion and a lioness drawn on either end.

Lily grinned and hugged them, as well. "Yes, it's perfect! Thank you!"

"Hey, what about us?"

"Yeah, we helped, too."

Remus and Sirius had strolled over to the group of girls. They were currently holding out their arms, as though they were waiting for Lily to hug them, too.

"Oh, come here," she said, and to their surprise, hugged them both.

Sirius looked too shocked to speak. Remus, on the other hand, placed his hand on Lily's forehead. "Are you absolutely positive you're not sick, Lily?"

Lily laughed, pushing his hand away. "I'm perfectly fine, see?" she said, twirling around. "I'm just happy, is all."

Sirius shook his head, as if he had been dreaming. "So James has been telling us about your duties. You get to set the Hogsmeade dates _and_ organize the Christmas Ball? That doesn't sound like work to me."

"Padfoot, nothing sounds like work to you," James said, wandering over to them at the mention of his name.

They all had a laugh at Sirius's expense.

"I don't need to work," he replied. "Everything I could possibly need to know is up here." He pointed to his head.

"A bunch of air, then? Ow!" James said as Sirius punched him in the arm.

"So, did James tell you all about the Heads' common room and bathroom?" Lily asked.

"Great, a nice place where you two can hold your fights," Claire commented, smirking.

"The Heads' bathroom, eh, Prongs?" said Sirius, nudging James with his elbow. "I hear they have two-ply in there."

------

Bellatrix had been in the alley by the Hog's Head since quarter to eleven. She was more nervous than she had ever been in her entire life. After all, this was what she had been waiting for, what she had been dreaming of for the past few months. Excitement coursed through her veins with every minute that ticked by. She had been pacing the alleyway before, but now that there were only seconds left until eleven o'clock, Bellatrix was standing patiently, her hands clasped behind her back, facing the street.

Suddenly, she heard a twig snap behind her. She blinked and slowly turned around.

Out of the woods came a tall, cloaked figure. He did not remove his hood, but she knew who he was. His high-pitched voice and glowing red eyes didn't even have to give him away. "At last we meet, Bellatrix."

Bellatrix fell to the ground, bowing to her master. She could smell her own tears, although none had fallen from her eyes. She wouldn't allow it. A million different emotions were flooding her mind; exhilaration and fear, delight and anxiety. She had never felt so alive. Her elbows were shaking as she dug her fingernails into the earth.

"My Lord," she whispered, lowering her head until her nose was almost touching the dirt.

"Rise," Voldemort commanded.

She felt as though he was laughing at her, even though no sound, aside from the words he uttered, came from under his hood. Yet, in an instant, Bellatrix was on her feet again, prepared to obey every order.

Voldemort took a step towards her. "I was informed of yesterday's scheme."

"Yes, my Lord. And I am aware that I was seen."

"Do not interrupt me!" Voldemort hissed. "Yes, you were _seen! _However." He began circling her. "The goal of my followers is to instill great fear in the hearts of my enemies. There is no denying that each and every student that was on that train is now having nightmares."

"I could do more than that, my Lord," Bellatrix declared. "I thoroughly enjoyed the kiddies screams . . . I could make them scream harder . . . beg for mercy . . ." she trailed off, a gleam in her dark eyes. She started giggling fiendishly.

"Bellatrix," said Voldemort.

Her laughter ceased almost immediately.

"I have much to teach you. Tell me, my dear . . . have you ever used the Cruciatus Curse?"

"_Have I? _I used to torture my cousins' pets . . . and I was known to use it on an ickle first year or two back at school," she admitted, smiling as though she were remembering a nice summer's day.

Voldemort grinned in the dark. "I believe you are ready, Bellatrix."

"I am, my Lord. I am!" she pleaded, clasping her hands together.

"Hold out your left arm."

She did so proudly, not even thinking twice about the action.

Voldemort's long, white fingers unfurled from the sleeves of his cloak. He grasped her wrist with one hand, turning it so her palm was facing up. The sheer power of his skeleton-like hold on her made her shudder. Seconds later, he slammed his other hand down on Bellatrix's forearm, wrapping his fingers around it.

Her scream ripped through the night. The burning sensation on her left arm was almost too much to bear. She felt as though someone had taken a white-hot poker to her very skin. It was more painful than anything she had ever endured before.

Just when Bellatrix thought she could take no more, the burning stopped. She felt dizzy and tired, her eyelids closing half-way.

Voldemort removed his hands from her, covering them with the sleeves of his cloak once again.

Bellatrix looked down at her forearm without fear; she had been branded with the Dark Mark.

Running a slim finger over the skull and snake, staring at the black design almost lovingly, she whispered, "Thank you, my Lord."

"Come now," Voldemort beckoned, walking back towards the woods. "If we are to take control of Hogwarts, my plans must be put into effect immediately."

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Little did the two of them know, an old man had his ear to the wall in a room behind the bar at the Hog's Head Inn. He had heard every word, and was now contemplating his next move.

Slowly, he stood up, running a hand through his matted grey hair. He then reached over to the window and moved the curtain slightly, making sure that the two dark figures from the alley had now vanished.

The man sighed, knowing what he had to do. He picked up his glasses from a desk in the corner of the room, grabbed his hat and cloak, and disappeared.

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**A/N: There you go! I hope everyone liked it . . . it's quite dark at the end, right? I enjoy writing Bellatrix and making her absolutely insane.**

**Thank you, everyone, for the great reviews! I would love to write all of the pen names in here, but I'm exhausted right now, so I apologize! But I really do appreciate your words, all of you!**

**Anyway, I just started school again, and I'm in my first year at college, which is kind-of harsh . . . but I promise to keep up with my updates, even though they won't be quite as often as before!**

**Thanks again, and please review!**

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**By: SammyLynn**


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